Surrounded by talented artists as I am, sometimes I feel bereft. I, too,
would like to create exquisite tarot decks and other objets d'art. But such is
not my lot in life, and I have learned to accept my artistic limitations.

The Flash Card Tarot (also referred to as the Spontaneous Wisdom Tarot™), with its bright, splashy colors and less-than-refined
style, suggests that I embrace those limitations instead, as Linda Nadeau, the
artist, clearly has. The artwork in this deck is quite primitive, yet it has a
brash style that is miles from being apologetic. It shimmers with a self-assured
vibrancy, much like a flashily-dressed, overweight woman ordering a third slice
of cake...a la mode.

It is also a deck beginners can use immediately. The backs are definitely not
reversible; they offer a keyphrase, a paragraph listing the "traditional
meaning," another paragraph entitled "Knowing Your Authentic Self," and then
offers self-evaluating questions. You can see a sample of the Three of Swords,
front and back, here. Because the card title is on
the back in bolded, in bright red, I recommend shuffling with your eyes closed.

Occasionally, Nadeau's "traditional meaning" isn't all that traditional. "The
Hanged Man tells you to watch for the
unexpected"--sometimes, not always. One of Nadeau's definitions for the Four of
Cups is "manifesting, making real, laying foundations through physical
effort..." Which card would you say "represents your fondest wish coming true"?
According to the Flash Card Tarot, it's the Ten of Cups. The Seven of Pentacles
"brings celebration, stretching, seeking variety, and unbounded possibilities."
I think she has this card confused with the Eight; Nadeau claims, "Traditional
images show a workman taking action to achieve financial success and growth."
Additionally, the descriptions, especially the court cards, tend to be all light with almost no shadow. I
understand this is a feel-good tarot, but if we are really going to transform in
the alchemical beaker of Temperance, we need at least a little nigredo.

The Wheel of Fortune shows a heart in eight various states--whole, broken,
shot with (and pierced by) the arrow of love, and so forth. It's an interesting
take, though kind of limiting--fortune is not a solely emotional experience.
However, the Celtic knotwork in the center of the card might symbolize that all
things are intertwined and inter-connected.

Maybe it's because I am not overfond of bright colors, one of my favorite
cards in this deck is Death. Its
high-definition in black and white (especially in comparison to the other cards)
shows a headless body. Actually, there is a head--it's just in the figure's
midsection! This image illustrates mental transformation with--pardon the
pun--surgical precision.

Another almost black-and-white image is the
Page/Child of Pentacles. The imagery is
very shamanistic, even though the back doesn't address that aspect of the card.
In one of the more homespun depictions, the Six of Cups shows a picnic blanket
laid with symbols of security (Mom's pocketbook, a basket with six cups) and
pleasure (slices of chocolate cake). The bluish-purplish tone of the
Five of Wands, along with the imagery
makes me think of Swords, especially as the card meaning speaks more to the
mental and internal aspect of competition and chaos than a fiery free-for-all.
The Nine of Swords is another of my favorite cards--it shows a deer caught in
oversized headlights with a terrified driver at the wheel. Talk about a
nightmare image that indicates fear and anxiety! Purists will be pleased to note
that the artist has included the numbered suit emblem on each card (the
aforementioned nine swords are cleverly placed in the car's grille, and they
strongly resemble pointy, terrifying teeth).

The deck includes two extra cards. One is entitled "Understanding the Celtic
Cross Spread"; one side shows the layout, the other some clues on how to use it.
The other is a "Note from the Artist" that promotes her workshops and her book,
Soul Sister Speaks: Intuition, Creativity, and the Tarot.

The 115-page companion book is spiral-bound and reflects the personal,
touchy-feely qualities of the deck. More than half the book is devoted to poems
Nadeau wrote for each of the cards (see excerpt below). These poems are often
quite personal and not necessarily meaningful to readers other than the author.
There is no set length--some of the Major Arcana poems are but a few lines and
some of the Minor Arcana over a page long. The author uses a rather large font,
so this isn't quite as excessive as it sounds. Again, the quality and personal
nature of the poetry might encourage others to create their own responses to the
cards, which can only be a good thing, and something the author encourages
later, in her section on "Working with Archetypal Energy", which lists 12
"Learning Paths" to increase the reader's ability to use the cards. These are
all tarot-specific, as opposed to the eight methods Nadeau lists first on
accessing intuition.

There are also chapters on General Information and Card Care and
Spreads. In the first, Nadeau puts forth several "rules" with which I don't
necessarily agree. One is never allowing anyone to touch your cards because it
will disturb the vibrations; ironically, she says later that she has the querent
cut the deck with his/her non-dominant hand, which means those vibes are ever-pulsating. Nadeau also writes, "Red letter words such as cancer or death are
absolutely unacceptable," because they are distressing. While I agree it is never
good to frighten a querent, my reason for not saying these things is because I
recognize I have no way of knowing with certainty that cancer or death is
imminent, not because the words have inherent power. However, if the querent
brings up either issue, saying, "I have cancer and have been given two months to
live," telling him or her that we can't use the cards for illumination and
guidance seems wrong. I really think I am quibbling with the wording and not
Nadeau's intent, as I certainly agree it would be unethical and immoral to
unnecessarily scare the person for whom I am reading.

There are three spreads offered: the Celtic Cross, the Horoscope Spread, and
the Tree of Life Spread. I really like the way Nadeau breaks down the last--she
makes the layout very accessible for someone who has no clue what Chesed is, by removing
the Hebrew terminology. She also states that "Cards falling on the pillar of severity
must be read with severity," and that the ones on the pillar of mercy be read
with compassion, which makes a great deal of sense. Throughout the book, Nadeau
consistently urges the reader to find his or her own path, a sentiment with
which I heartily concur.

A 16 page
little white booklet also comes with the deck--mostly, it speaks of how to get
in touch with your intuitive side, though some basic tarot definitions are
offered. It does not include individual card interpretations (after all, the
card backs do that!), but the same "Note from the Artist" appears on the last
page.

While I am less than impressed with Nadeau's artwork (her renderings of the
male form are particularly and painfully amateurish), the deck has an unmistakable voluptuousness that melds
with the deck creator's free-flowing, inner-child-loving approach .
The cards are larger than average, which enhances its Venusian flow, lush and
excessive. And, as I wrote earlier, the Flash Card Tarot will make the average
tarotist feel he/she, too, can create his or her own deck. On the other hand,
perhaps these new decks should remain personal and not emerge on the tarot market!
This deck will not have universal appeal, because it is so subjective. I consider
it to be a self-help tool imposed upon a tarot structure, rather than a true tarot
deck.

You can order the deck for $30 from:

Aph se Aph Publishing
P.O. Box 23161
Portland, OR 97281
503-245-3692

The book (Soul Sister Speaks) is an additional $15. I have to say that
I think the price tag is rather steep, but I know that
self-publishing is costly and requires an act of personal courage and faith.

You can also see more cards and order the deck from the artist/author's
website.

Excerpt:

Three of Swords

When all is lost - something is found
In each ending there is a new beginning.
In winter, spring's seeds are deeply sown.

When duty, custom, or habit loosen their hold
One is free to fly down new roads at lightening [sic] speed
Or just meander, take a chance, and put a toe into new waters.

Look for tiny sparkles despite the current dread
There is some security in knowing
Nothing could have changed it.
It is as it's supposed to be.